sambamaster's Profile
High-gluten flour
Try Sheridan's Mkt on SE MLK...they have a great bulk section. But New Season's and Whole Foods are likely to have it. Also, what do you consider high gluten? King Arthur Flour for bread machines is very high gluten since the machine whacks the hell out of the dough, and that flour is around everywhere....
What's the food/atmosphere like at Natural Selection?
We ate there a few weeks ago for the first time, and probably the last. We were looking forward to it immensely, having recently adopted a largely vegan, yet still 'flexitarian', eating thing. We opted for the $35 prix fixe option, which allowed us to taste everything on the menu. Well, of the four courses, two were just ok, the entrees were both VERY disappointing—very confused, over use of ingredients—and so, on the food, we'd rate it a 5 out of 10.
The ambience was fine...not noisy.
Now the good part. No. The bad part. Well, the worst part:
The service was insulting, haughty, insolent. Our waiter could have been an out of work Hollywood actor, pretty-boy type, who'd landed in Portland hoping to get work on some locally produced television series and then, immediately rise to stardom and fame. His attitude about service was, well, friggin' lousy. Maybe we're just too old to be taken seriously in Portland's obviously youth-culture-oriented eateries, but, too bad. He was snotty and inefficient, and, in regards to the food and wine on the menu, totally clueless...couldn't answer a single question we posed without hemming and hawing and then, posing questions to us to make us feel like we were the ignorant one. Inexcusable. Then, when we were ordering a bottle of wine (which is another ridiculous story that will have to wait), he could not have been interested enough in our selection to even pay attention to what we said. He totally forgot about it, and we didn't see our wine until we finally managed to flag him down toward the end of the second course to remind him that we had, indeed, ordered a bottle of Rosso di Montalcino. "I guess I didn't hear you," he admitted.
Hope this helps. We know a bit about food, are considered excellent home cooks, and our palates are relatively well developed. We also appreciate good service, and when spending about 100 bucks for a meal, even expect it!!!
We won't be returning....
But, Your Mileage May Vary!!! Buona fortuna!
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
Re Nostrana/Tabla....I've never had issues with Nostrana's service...but luck of the draw? I'd rate their food leagues above Tabla's. I had quite dreadful food at Tabla and a friend of mine, who ran one of the best Italian restaurants in the US and who made some of the most amazing pasta ever outside Italy, relates to me that he went to Tabla and the chef told him NOT to order the pasta! That it wouldn't meet his expectations...so, go figure...just sayin'! Stick with Nostrana...
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
grayelf: in response to JillO's list: I stand by my Country Cat assessment: the worst fried chicken I've ever had...anywhere...and the plate was about $18!!! My friends in Texas really had a laugh about that! Podnah's meat is ok, but the sides are not worthy of the meat. Toro Bravo is a lot of hype and a lot of money for a lot of not much...I've had only mixed results there and see no reason to return...also, it's very LOUD! We finally tried Clyde Common last Fall...some of the lousiest food I've had in a very long time...they served me a raw, not rare, raw, pork chop and my SO was served the gummiest, thickest WORST "house-made" pasta you could imagine...until she got her plate, I could not have imagined such a travesty being presented, especially at the price; half an hour after they served her, they finally brought out my properly cooked pork chop (which they'd described as a "roasted rack"!!! It was not very good in any case...then the comped dessert was an absolutely terrible pineapple upside down cake...worse than anything made in the '50s from a can and a box... EAT has decent oysters, but the rest of the food is not very good (I grew up in NOLA), but the happy hour oyster thing is fine....speaking of NOLA, Eastmoreland may have the best muffaletta in Portland, but you can't even get a good one in New Orleans anymore because no one makes the bread correctly any more...but don't tell the tourists down there! Nostrana is ok for pizza...better experience and better pizza than Scholls which I also find to be another local hype-athon, not worth the effort. Violetta has apparently been granted a reprieve, for what it's worth. Re: sandwiches...Bunk is aptly named in my opinion, and sailing, once again, on trendy hype. Emperor's New Clothes kind of thing. EVOE would be a better choice, but think they may not be open on Sunday??? I'm not convinced Olympic Provisions has yet learned their craft, but I've spent way too much time in Italy and am a bit jaded by young stud-boy white kids pretending to be Italian meat wizards without having gone through the real apprenticeship known in the Old World...reading a few books on curing is not the way to become expert.
Just my opinions....and I'm only sharing because I've learned a lot from your Vancouver posts and feel you actually know something about food!!!!
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
Grayelf, having followed your posts regarding Vancouver Chinese places, I think I owe you one: Pine State is dreadful and not worth waiting for, not even a minute. Likewise Country Cat...this Texas found their fabled fried chicken some of the worst on the planet. For coffee, check out Barista, Spella (the best) and Courier in the downtown area, Coava and Water Avenue in the near-SE, Ristretto in NE for starters. Green Dragon doesn't impress me, but seems to make many happy. Breakside Brewery has a short beer list, but above average chow for a brew pub...it's far north. Horse Brass Tavern has a pretty amazing tap list, one of the most interesting in town, the chow is ok pub grub...decent burger, fish and chips...go for the suds. Since it appears you will have a car, Kesone is ok, but Rama Thai in Beverton has the best nam khao tod around and their khao man gai is better than the over-lauded downtown food cart's (but don't tell anyone...the hipsters haven't ruined this place yet). Have fun!!!
Ever eaten at Fette Sau?
I'm from Austin. You may have heard, we have some decent BBQ in the area.
This place in Bklyn is awful. Comically bad, the wait is stupid, the food is mediocre and WAY overpriced.
I was dragged there by a native NY'er who raved about the place, but, honestly, what standards' do y'all have? None, I'd say. But, more power to 'em, I'm sure they're makin' a fortune. (I now live in Portland OR, no BBQ here either, but some clown has appointed himself the King of Siam and is pulling the pork-wool over the eyes of the local food geniuses who think he invented Thai food...so, same story as y'all's Fette Sau, when no one knows what the food really is, you can hype yourself into the financial stratosphere! But beware, this guy is now eyeing a location in Bklyn. Buyer beware!!!!)
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Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Salem Authentico Tacos Report
I'd say that sums up the afternoon quite nicely! Eager to go back and scratch that surface a bit deeper! Yum boy! Thanks for showing me the town!
Rio Food Blog
OMG! volto pro Rio na semana que vem...e nao vou ter tempo de fazer tudo isto!!!
I'm going back to Rio next week, I want to do everything itaunas is recommending and there is no way in two weeks! Feijoada every day????
thanks for you post. I've emailed the feijoada bloggers for suggestions of the 3-4 best in Rio. We'll see what they say.
Butecos Rule!!!!
See y'all soon! A gente se ve logo!
Miguelzinho Branquinho
A menu odyssey at Bushair Hunan (Chowdown) in Richmond
I'm not sure it this menu is totally legit, but probably is. Dylan??? (it is rather picaresque, so open with care...!!!) The amazing cover for the Bushuair menu is also posted here:
http://sambamaster.blogspot.com/2010/09/rather-amusing-but-xxx-rated-chinese.html
Chinese Food Immersion Weekend in Richmond, Vancouver, Burnaby
Just spent a long weekend in the Greater Vancouver area indulging in some of the great Chinese y'all have to offer. It was pretty overwhelming, and we could have used an extra week...just to skim the surface. There is just way to much to explore, and 4 days are just not enough.
Won't get into deep details on any particular meals, but here are some highlights. We hit, among others, the following: Richmond Public Market (Xi'an Cuisine, Xin Jiang Delicious Food), Crystal Mall (Northern Meixi Fast Food, Wang's Shanghai Cuisine and Want Want Hot & Spicy House), Nine Dishes, Bushuair (Hunan) "O'Tray Noodles, Chuan Xiang Ge (Sichuan).
We agreed that the best overall meal was the mostly Hunan stuff we had at Bushuair Restaurant, though negotiating that weird menu is truly a challenge for those who do not speak or read Chinese. But we did ok and really enjoyed the smoked pork belly dish, some great pickled long beans with pork, the Mao's Favorite braised pork belly and a great rendition of the Sichuan chicken dish variously called ChongQing or 1000-chile Chicken. The prickly ash/sichuan peppercorns they used were the most pungent numbing examples I've ever had (and the next night, we had the same peppercorns at Nine Dishes...they are covered with little white spots, unlike any I've seen before...anyone have any idea where to get those? If at Nine Dishes sent us to Rice World, but I don't think we found those specific buds...though they were included in an impulse-buy bag of spicy peanuts, obviously from Sichuan, I picked up at the cash register...help!!!).
Had the Jian Bing at O'Tray Noodles, President Plaza, and that was nice, but actually, one of the highlights of the whole trip was the bowl of "tofu pudding" I got to fill out my breakfast menu. It was savory, deeply flavored, complex and just plain yummy. Not totally sure what was in it, but chile oil and sesame oil or paste seemed to be part of the mix. So simple, yet so complex! Get this!!!
Xi'an Cuisine was nice, but, honestly, and I can say this generally speaking about most of what we had on this trip, that there were few WOW!!! moments of transcendent food. In NYC/Flushing, I have many of these "Holy Crap! I want more of that" sort of experiences...the now famous Xi'an place in Flushing is a good example: his cold noodle dish is far more interesting, more flavorful, more satisfying to the palate, and he includes some house-made gluten cubes in the mix. And his lamb and pork burgers are better than any we had on this trip, except maybe the lamb version at Want Want Hot & Spicy House at the Crystal Mall...those were superb, the bread was absolutely fresh, the lamb perfectly cooked and seasoned. The Sichuan stalls and restaurants in Flushing (NY) seem to offer more vibrant flavors and renditions of all the stuff sampled on this pig-out. These are just my opinions and I don't want to imply that the food in Vancouver was not amazing...it was. And the variety is astonishing. Just not enough wow-factor to my tastebuds.
Nine Dishes was a great experience. The food is ok, but it was fun just soaking up the scene there, and the charisma of the Big Boss Man, Mr. If. Very cool. the Sichuan sausage was fantastic, the water boiled fish was good, but was lacking any broth (water) and seemed to be 99% oil in which the fish and chiles were floating...still good though! And you can't beat his $2 beers!
I would like to go back to Chuan Xiang Ge and sample more of their menu, the food was very good, but 3-4 dishes are not enough to get the total picture. Would also like to try other Sichuan-centric restaurants since that cuisine appeals to me, a displaced Texan, the most. The cold chicken with chile garlic sauce appetizer was my personal favorite here.
Went to several markets and grocery stores: Rice World, T&T, Big Crazy and an Indian place somewhere in east Richmond....all yielded some great finds. Y'all are lucky to have such wonderful places to shop nearby. In Portland Oregon where I currently reside, most markets are owned by SE Asians, and the selections are light on hard-core Chinese, especially Sichuan, ingredients. I now need more of those peanuts, so will have to drive back up just to get those!
Well, this has turned into a long post than I had intended. I'm including a link to a little video tribute I shot during the trip. Hope CH allows links, I can't remember.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTde5qKgFvk
Also, thanks to the great tips, reviews and comments by Dylan, fmed and Ben (and his ChowTimes site) for leading us to all of these great places. Can't imagine covering so much ground without their guidance....how did we do this in pre-Internet days???
I'll be back soon! Save some food for me!
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Crystal Mall
4500 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H2A9, CA
Chuan Xiang Ge
8211 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V6X 1A7, CA
Where can I get my Duck Fix?
I've had good and average sichuan duck at Asia Cafe, not sure how to predict? Ask??
It's not whole duck, but I've been enjoying the smoked duck with leeks and ginger at Sea Dragon for nearly 25 years--had it last night and gobbled every morsel. Highly recommended.
Since W+R closed, whataya gonna do?
Raymond Tatum used to have a pretty good hand with duck when he was at Jeffery's, not sure if he has it on the Backstage menu, but if so, it may be worth the drive. I heard he just unveiled a new menu but have not been out (it's actually been ages). By the way, I see him regularly at Asia Cafe...nice endorsement for that place in my opinion.
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Sea Dragon
8776B Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78758
New Brazilian Tapas restaurant
Just a note or two on language: "tapas" don't exist in Brazilian cuisine. Try Spain! Salgadinho is a generic term for savory (salgado=salted) snacks which can range from the fried "pastel" stuffed with cheese or meat, to "coxinhas de galinha" which are formed "thighs" of chopped chicken and breading, to kibbe which is one of the most prevalent snacks in Brazilian "bars" which are basically open to the street cafes serving beer, pinga (cachaça), coffee, juices and salgadinhos, among other things.
For what it's worth, sauces do not constitute a part of the salgadinho experience for the most part....the most common condiment is some sort of red pepper sauce, like Tabasco (often that brand). So whatever sauces they are serving are probably a function of creative license. just sayin'
Who else is ridiculous stoked about metro PDX board? plus viewpoint from a PDX newbie.
Finally, someone else who shares my overall perspective. Moved here from Austin two years ago. Austin has had its own city board here for more than three years. And it's very active. But Austin doesn't pat itself on the back about being a sent-from-heaven food city. But it has far better, more diverse food than Portland which is still quite backwater. Lots of young, enthusiastic "chefs" who don't really know food very well, and don't have much world view outside the PNW. Far too enamored of certain trends without the "chops" to pull off their goals properly. And the average diner here is not well educated either, so they just fall in line with what is hip, cool and new. Pretty funny, pretty sad. I go to places people rave about and can't figure out why these places get some much praise: Bunk, Apizza Scholls, Toro Bravo, Tabla, Pambiche, and one hundred more. And the truly good places remain half full even on Saturday night. I see it all the time.
Overall, Asian food here is a joke, and I include Pok Pok in that, the new, hip Ping is far worse, a terrific joke, really. Other Thai places are just mediocre for the most part. Vietnamese places here serve a largely ignorant non-Asian market, meaning they don't go much beyond pho which, then, is all the local know anything about. One place I love, Bun Bo Hue on SE 82nd, has amazingly bright, wonderful flavors...I've never seen another non-Asian in there who wasn't with an Asian companion. Yet crappy places around town stay full of folks eating mediocrity. Chinese? Lucky Strike has become very hip, but they miss the mark with most of their dishes, but no one in PDX knows the difference....I laud the young owners, just wish they would make a few minor adjustments and then they would deserve all the hipster accolades. The places I've found to have the best Chinese are almost always devoid of non-Asians...Shenzhen, Good Taste, Wing Wa BBQ King all have great stuff if you order correctly, and mediocre if you don't.
I've been to most of the top-rated food carts. Nada. Potato Champion has great fries, but so what. Tabor's highly praised sandwiches are terrible, the now closed Asia Station that was drooled over on another food board served nasty XLB, Garden State, the S. Italian cart in Sellwood is a joke, and all the others likewise. One exception: Spella's coffee is fantastic. But people here are just gaga about these purveyors of food that is not really fast a lot of the time, not really cheap, and almost uniformly average or below. Lack of knowledge about good food. But the funniest part is that Portlanders think that this is the only city with food carts, that the concept just must have been invented in the oh-so-weird city. Along with beer, coffee, sandwiches, farmers' markets, locally grown produce, pork belly, pulled pork and god knows what else. Folks, I hate to break it to you, but Portland did not give rise to any of these. Someone on that other food Dot ORG site, commenting on an NBC news report on food carts in Portland and in NYC said, "I didn't know it was a trend in other places too." !!!!!!!!!!!!! Other places? How about everywhere else in the world? NYC has been famous for theirs for decades, Austin has had taco trucks, etc for decades as has the SF Bay area, etc etc etc. Ever been to Italy, Morocco, Mexico, Brasil, etc etc etc????? "A trend in other places too!!!!""" that still cracks me up.
Portland is a beautiful city, you can find some pretty good stuff here, but if it's food, you need to cook it yourself to be guaranteed of real deliciousness. Oh, and don't ever think it will be easy to find any restaurants open much after 9pm, folks here like to roll up the sidewalks early, even bars close early here....I love Bridgeport IPA, but their Alehouse on Hawthorne closes at 10 every night!!!!!! It's a bar, for god's sake! Want an espresso after 9? Forget it. Stumptown's closed (though the one downtown might be open later, not sure). Most of the other decent places also shutter early. It's a sleepy little town, beautiful, but not really as progressive and sophisticated as the NY Times would have you believe.
Have fun!
Where to buy "bai cha plu" leaves in Seattle?
If you look for them under the name la lot (Vietnamese), you might be more successful...
One week in austin - your input please
I think at Artz, that would be "ribz"
and I'll stick with my diss of Eddie V's....it's quite popular with solo cougars though, so maybe, if you are hunting....
One week in austin - your input please
Skip Taco Express...go east on 7th about 1/2 mile east of I-35 to Carneceria La Michoacana and get the real deal...corn tortilla tacos for about 99 cents, plus gorditas, huaraches, etc. Amazing and cheap. And authentic.
Also skip Salt Lick. Nice atmosphere I suppose, but 2nd tier BBQ...if you have wheels to go there, head to Lockhart or Taylor for world-class BBQ without the hype.
Chez Nous is quite nice, good food, no pretense. Fonda San Miguel is wonderful, but the prices have escalated to the point of being ridiculous. If you have the pockets....
If you are not traveling out of town for BBQ, go back to Sam's, Artz is, well, Sam's is usually much better.
Someone recommended Eddie V's downtown. Yuk. I went ONCE. Returned the overpriced, overcooked shrimp. Won't make that mistake again. And the service was awful. I've only returned food to the kitchen a couple of times...so be forewarned.
Merguez sausage or acceptable substitute?
Uhhhhh. Merguez is a product of Islamic N. Africa (or better, N. Africa which is now Islamic) which means it is typically a halal product, meaning not unlike kosher products, habib, and thus, pork ain't, well, kosher. The casing is usually lamb, the filling lamb or lamb and beef, or maybe beef. Pork is a no no. So, your find, being kosher, is probably likewise halal, though the two are not totally interchangeable. But I believe this original poster's goal was to make the dish from locally purchased products. I don't think the drive to "SoCal" would be entirely, well, again, kosher!!!!
Buying truffles in Seattle (the tuber, not chocolate)
From what I understand, the truffles for this year are about done, but I may be mistaken. But, FWIW, I've never had any truffles in Oregon that are really worth seeking out, I started buying them through the mail 15 years ago, they were pretty worthless then. I don't think they've gotten much better...it's not so much that the flavor is different, but that it is nearly nonexistent. I'm sure there are some on occasion that are more pungent, but most I've bought are pretty flavorless...though one day I did smell some at the Portland Farmers' Mkt that at least had some aroma, but I didn't spring for them for whatever reason.
But what do I know? (I've been to the Truffle Fair in Alba, have eaten summer and winter truffles all up and down Italy. The blacks of Tuscany in the summer are far better than anything in Oregon, and the Alba whites???? Fainting just thinking about smelling them from a distance of 25-50 feet during the Fair, farmers' jacket pockets being stuffed with them wrapped in old newspaper....) Find a reliable truffle cream or oil from Italy or France and use that, you'll get closer to the true experience then the local stuff.
Need suggestions for a weekend in Portland
try using the search function, this question comes up about 30 times a day...
Merguez sausage or acceptable substitute?
Since the only way you will get GOOD merguez in Austin, I'll wager is to make your own, bite the bullet, move the operation to a friend's house, and share the wealth!!!!
It really isn't hard....
A Canadian food writers first time to Austin- Best places to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
First, try the Cafe Apostrophe. Judging from the headline, looks like it could be a first!!!!! Writers should love it!!!! Should is the operative term here....
That aside, have you done ANY research on CH? The Austin board is clearly one of the most active in the USA (I live in the PNW and for 2-3 states, our board gets far fewer posts) and is a great place for tips on places new, old, traditional, not so traditional.
I'll be in Austin for part of that time from feb 12. I won't miss: Asia Cafe, La Michoacana Carneceria, a series of taco trucks, Backstage, Sunflower, Madam Mam, Justine's, Smitty's BBQ (in Lockhart), Sam's BBQ, Mueller's (in Taylor). Might have to hit Amaya's Taco Village for their wacky-fresh corn tortillas which I first ate 35 years ago, or the offshoot, Angie's, can't miss the chicken sandwich at Phoenicia Bakery (the original location on S. Lamar), maybe the bigass burger at happy hour at the Rolling Fork, Tâm's Deli for great Viet food made by great people, the Pak-Indo food at Shalimar. Did I mention Sichuan at Asia Cafe? Oh, more Viet at Sea Dragon (don't listen to nay sayers on this one, they clearly don't know), and a handful of new places I've learned about...guess where???? On CH.
Have fun, and do digest that chow at the Apostrophe. Your eds will appreciated it,
Chowhounds, Please do it again....
Yep, and so far, none of the recommended places match up with what you are asking. Pambiche is pretty lame Cuban food, lots of color, and promise, follow-through is weak. Have not been to the recommended Ethiopian, so can't say. Problem is, very few places are gonna meet the level of performance your cited references reach, anywhere! Ned Ludd is a Dudd. Nice idea. Lots of "look what we can do" and the results are so-so. So many places in PDX may be "dedicated" to food, but they just don't have the experience, tradition and depth of knowledge to pull it off. Sorry. Just my 40-some years of eating around the world showing here. (Those are majority years, i.e., post age 18...)
Chowhounds, Please do it again....
Good luck. Knowing both Lotus of Siam, and Mandina's, and their lack of pretense, and total dedication to long-standing traditions, I can't think of anything in Portland that comes close. You can find some ok food, but it's loaded with artifice, or attitude or, hell, I don't know what. Yer gonna get recs like Toro Bravo, Davis Street Tavern, Pok Pok, Laurelhurst Market...none of these hit the mark as you've described. Just be forewarned. Portland is supposed to be a food town, but based on the quality of posts to this and other forums, I'd question that accolade pretty seriously. (already someone has suggested Laurelhurst Mkt without considering the places you mentioned...it just isn't one of those, and never will be)
Honestly, the closest I can think of is a hole in the wall Chinese-Korean place in Beaverton called Du Kuh Bee where a guy and sometimes his wife make great hand pulled noodles etc. It's fun, the food is good, and the pretense level is minus one hundred. And they are open late, past most Portlanders' bedtime of 10pm!!!!!!
HELP HOUNDS! NEED CHINESE REC's FOR 2NIGHT: PORTLAND
Try Shenzhen, one of the better Chinese in town, but DON"T order the Chinese-Americnan stuff. Be adventuresome. Try to get an English speaking waitress. If you order the right stuff, the place rocks.
If they are not open, go downtown to Mandarin House and order off the Chinese-only menu (no English translation). I've posted on this in the past, use the search tool.
But in PDX, whether or not any of these will be open is a big question mark...
Now, Banh Cuon Tan Dinh closed a year ago, I doubt they'll be serving today. And Ngoc Han Bun Bo Hue is merely average....
Merguez sausage or acceptable substitute?
As you know, N. Africa is not the Middle East, and the local retailers cater to Middle Eastern tastes. The Maghreb, where merguez is found, is not well represented in grocery markets in this country, with a few exceptions.
It's not hard to make your own merguez. You can even find lamb casings (not locally, probably, but on the internets) in which to stuff the meat mixture. Use a wide mouth funnel for stuffing. Not hard at all...a piece of kaab el-ghzal !!
good vietnamese on 82nd ave. portland?
this newer place gets lots of "cult" raves. I think people need to feel they are in the vanguard of what is new on the scene. The food at Ngoc Han Bun Bo Hue pales in comparison to the older place on 82nd. And it's icy sterility, ambience wise, is downright creepy. Give me some funk and character! The food is ok, but just. And a bit pricy for what you get. But this is just my opinion. I once went to the much-lauded Slanted Door in San Francisco and thought it was pretty lame. I would never go back. So take that into your stockpot and simmer it....
good vietnamese on 82nd ave. portland?
Portlanders love to think that the city is full of great Vietnamese places. But this just isn't so. Most restaurants here focus on pho, banh mi, and a few [fill in the blank] over rice dishes. There is no place (decent) that has a full blown menu of all the really wonderful treats Vietnamese cuisine has to offer. Yen Ha on Sandy has a large menu, but it is some of the very worst Vietnamese food I've had anywhere. I don't know if they dumbed down our choices because we are not Asian, but the stuff sampled here was absolutely awful. Now I've read good things about it. Pho Van on 82nd is a bit of an overblown "pho joint" with prices to match. I wasn't very impressed, though their menu does stretch out a little. Pho Oregon, also on 82nd might be ok, but I haven't been yet....too burnt out on other lousy places...but their menu does seem to have a bit more variety. Maybe it's worth checking out.
Now, the absolute best Viet food I've had in town is at Bun Bo Hue on SE 82nd, about a half mile south of Woodstock. The flavors there are more distinctive, better developed and more pronounced than almost any place I've been to in the USA. Downside: limited menu. However, if you order carefully, you can really score big time here. Their namesake soup is decent, and it's what most people order, or some variation. (No pho at all here.) They have a nice selection of bun--vermicelli-- dishes with all topped with a generous handful of vibrant herbs. For a change of pace, try the banh uot, a plate of rice noodles (more or less) topped with cha lua (Vietnamese sausage) herbs and fried shallots...ask for it with an additional topping of grilled pork, douse it all with the nuac cham (delicious "dressing" of fish sause, lime juice, lots of garlic, sugar and chiles), and you will have an amazing taste treat. Get an order of banh bot loc--shrimp and pork filled "dumplings" in a translucent tapioca starch wrapper and have a great meal. Maybe try the smaller Vietnamese sausage on the appetizer menu, it's similar to cha lua, but with more black pepper....yummy stuff. They also have, under the 'fried rice' category, a good, different version of chicken stir fried with lemongrass and hot chiles, "ga xao xa ot" which is decent.
Or try some of their other soups.
Nice place, simple, nothing fancy at all, but the owners are friendly and welcoming. It's frequented mostly by a Vietnamese clientele, I've only seen a couple of non-Asians there in my 10 or so visits.
Beyond this, I really wouldn't recommend, at least for the food, any other Vietnamese place in town. Oh, HA&VL Sandwiches gets raves, and it's good (the sandwiches, though, are not), but they are not open for dinner...and they have not, as one 'hound declared, "redefined soup"!!!! That declaration still cracks me up. But it's become a cult fave and gets lots of stroking. Again, good, interesting soups, but not earth-shattering.
Hope this helps.
Rome Restaurants Report - December 2009 (long)
I know all those places after about 15 trips to Florence.....just ate at Casalinga. Re: Teatro del Sale...I hate self-serve/buffets, even if it is Fabio doing the cooking. And I'm not a theater fan. I'll stick with Cibreo.
Rome Restaurants Report - December 2009 (long)
Florence: Tried Antico Ristoro di Cambi after seeing it touted in usually reliable sources. The food was mediocre, the service nearly surly. It was very much as if they didn't want us there at all. Very unpleasant.
Also, Osteria Pepo, near the Mercato Centrale. A newish place, good reviews somewhere, I forget where. Very disappointing. I'll stick with Cibreo, Nerbone, La Vecchia Bettola, Da Ruggero, etc in the future.
Rome Restaurants Report - December 2009 (long)
I used the "eat in as many untried restaurants..." technique in Florence last month. All were terrible, or at least, not very good. Likewise my Roscioli experience in Rome...never again. Now, Da Gino was great, and I don't see it popping up very often. I will certainly go back there.
